''Invisible Planets'' (or ''Invisible Planets: Contemporary

Chinese Science Fiction Chinese science fiction (traditional Chinese: , simplified Chinese: , pinyin: ''kēxué huànxiǎng'', commonly abbreviated to ''kēhuàn'', literally ''scientific fantasy'') is genre of literature that concerns itself with hypothetical future so ...

in Translation'') is a

science-fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, sp ...

anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs, or related fiction/non-fiction excerpts by different authors. There are also thematic and g ...

edited and translated by

Ken Liu , birth_date = , birth_place = Lanzhou, Gansu, China , occupation = , nationality = American , period = , genre = Science fiction, fantasy , subject = , movement = , notableworks= * '' The Paper Menagerie'' (2011 ...

composed of thirteen

short stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction. It can typically be read in a single sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the old ...

as well as three essays by different

Chinese Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...

writers A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles, genres and techniques to communicate ideas, to inspire feelings and emotions, or to entertain. Writers may develop different forms of writing such as novels, short stori ...

, namely

Chen Qiufan Chen Qiufan (; born 1981), also known as Stanley Chan, is a Chinese science fiction writer, columnist, and scriptwriter. His first novel was '' The Waste Tide'' (2013), which "combines realism with allegory to present the hybridity of humans and ...

, Xia Jia,

Ma Boyong Ma Boyong (born 14 November 1980) is a Chinese novelist, columnist, and blogger. In the year of 2010, he won People's Literature Prize, one of China's most prestigious honors. Works The City of Silence His short story''The City of Silence'' ...

, Hao Jingfang,

Tang Fei Tang Fei (; born 15 March 1932) is a Taiwanese politician and retired ROC Air Force general. He served as the prime minister of Taiwan from May 20 to October 2000, under the Chen Shui-bian government of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP ...

, Cheng Jingbo and

Liu Cixin Liu Cixin (, pronounced ; born 23 June 1963) is a Chinese computer engineer and science fiction writer. In English translations of his works, his name is given as Cixin Liu. He is sometimes called "''Da'' Liu" ("Big Liu") by his fellow sc ...

. It was published by

Head of Zeus Bloomsbury Publishing plc is a British worldwide publishing house of fiction and non-fiction. Bloomsbury's head office is located on Bedford Square in Bloomsbury, an area of the London Borough of Camden. It has a US publishing office located in ...

in March 2016. It contains the novelette " Folding Beijing", which won the

Hugo Award for Best Novelette The Hugo Award for Best Novelette is one of the Hugo Awards given each year for science fiction or fantasy stories published or translated into English during the previous calendar year. The novelette award is available for works of fiction of ...

in 2016, which also marked the first time a Chinese woman has won the award.

Short stories

Essays

Background

In April 2017, Hao Jingfang announced that " Folding Beijing" would be adapted into a movie titled ''Folding City'' directed by Josh Kim by

Wanda Media Wanda Media (), also known as Wanda Pictures, is a Chinese film production company and distributor. Wanda Media is a subsidiary of Wanda Group which is responsible for the development, investment, production, publicity, marketing, copyright operat ...

. In 2024, the movie is still in development. "

Taking Care of God "Taking Care of God" () is a science-fiction short story by Chinese writer Liu Cixin, first published in January 2005. The short story was included in the anthology '' Invisible Planets'' by Head of Zeus in March 2016 and the collection ''The Wan ...

" also appeared in the collection ''

The Wandering Earth ''The Wandering Earth'' () is a 2019 Chinese science fiction film directed by Frant Gwo, loosely based on the 2000 short story of the same name by Liu Cixin. The film stars Wu Jing, Qu Chuxiao, Li Guangjie, Ng Man-tat, Zhao Jinmai and Qu ...

'' by

and has a sequel, the short story " For the Benefit of Mankind", which won the Galaxy Award in 2005.

Reception

Reviews

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

'' wrote, that "although greatly varied in theme and approach, all of these stories impress with their visionary sweep and scope." Furthermore, "the inclusion of three essays on the significance of science fiction to China and its writers underscores the thoughtfulness that Liu put into curating this superb compilation." Stephanie Chan wrote on ''

Strange Horizons ''Strange Horizons'' is an online magazine, online speculative fiction magazine. It also features speculative poetry and non-fiction in every issue, including reviews, essays, interviews, and roundtables. History and profile It was launched in S ...

'', that "the idea persists that the East is, as a general rule, old, mystical, unknowable. But this is exactly the set of assumptions that translator and editor Ken Liu warns against". Nonetheless, "the stories live in a cultural context that cannot be ignored" and "seem to occupy a fascinating space: telling tales through a perspective that is uniquely Chinese as well as through a Chinese interpretation of Western stories." In summary, the anthology "is strewn with familiar landmarks and ideas in a landscape that is notably distinct" and "are largely successful and often offer an interesting take on familiar ideas and motifs." ''

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus. The magazine's publisher, Kirkus Media, is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fiction, no ...

'' wrote, that the stories "represent the best in both science fiction and works in translation, detailing situations that appear alien on the surface but deftly reframe contemporary issues to give readers a new view of familiar human experiences." In summary, it is a "phenomenal anthology of short speculative fiction."

Awards

" Folding Beijing" won the

in 2016.

References

External links

* {{isfdb title, 690964 2016 short story collections

Contents